About Time
by 8ouji-Rui
Summary: Tenten knew the value of time.


A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! I haven't made any contribution in a while so this hopefully will kickstart my muse. I tried to make this one longer than i'm used to, and i think i have somehow succeeded. Mixed my own styles (of narrations that lack dialogues :")) and tried to mix it with some other styles. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNCHECKED FOR GRAMMAR AND SPELLING. It's late and I need to sleep now so enjoy,,,,and good night!

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Tenten knows the value of time.

It has been ingrained in her mind. Perhaps from the harsh practice that Gai had made them do as a mere genin. One minute of tardiness means two extra laps around Konoha. If you made a promise with Lee and failed to come on time, you would need to comply with his one of wish, which would usually result in embarrassment for her. With Neji, Tenten learned that the Hyuuga would stare coldly at you and refuse to talk or even make any eye contact with you. That is, at least until she brought his favorite soba the next day.

With all of those disciplines ingrained in her from her early days, she truly understood how precious time is.

With her profession as a ninja, time could be your friend and your enemy. One moment too late and you could die. But a well-timed explosive would really help you when you're in a pinch. A moment too late and a poison would have taken away your soul. However, if you act fast and do the basic medical help your life would still be saved.

Everything in her life depends on precision; every single second count.

That all changed after the war.

It is not the war that stopped the clock for her. No. Far from it. During the war, she was alive, full of passion and a need to finally show her worth. For Tenten who is so used to being in the background, the war is the spotlight. A chance for her to awe the audience with her dance of blades and the ferocity of her dragon. Those who fought with her would testify later on that they are glad she is not amongst the enemy. She was fearless, unabashed by her enemies ruthless kill of some of her comrades. She fights and fights and fights.

During her war, time running too fast for her. But she managed to keep up.

However, when the war ends everything slows down so fast until it screeched to a halting stop. If asked, she could pinpoint exactly when the clock stopped ticking for her. It was 2 days after the official end of the war when every nation is still counting their casualties. The medical tent is filled full to the brim but so is the makeshift pubs in the tent areas. People are celebrating the win, nursing their wounds, and mourning their loss. And then she saw him.

Or rather, his body. She knew he is not "there" anymore.

Of course, she knew what happened. If asked, she could retell it without a trace of emotion how he died. The wooden pikes released from the fingers of the monster pierced a lot of people, however when one is aimed at Naruto, Hinata tried to cover for him. Neji, the idiot, covers for her in returns. During the battle, Lee was the one who cried for him, and Tenten tried to be the strong one, while all the while trying her best to fool herself that the medic team will somehow bring this stupid so-called genius of their team back in no time. It is so stupidly funny. The first time she retold it to Lee in her drunken state she didn't realize she had laughed out loud for the first time after the war.

It was also the first time she had ever shed any tear after the war.

Time stopped the exact moment she saw his face. His forehead was cleared without any trace of the abominable curse seal. A white sheet of blanket covered his body from the neck down. He looks as if he was meditating. She moved to wake him up and teased him for meditating like an old man. As her hand reached out, she grabbed the pristine white sheets that seem to out of place in this filthy basecamp, and it slipped off of his body.

The next thing she knows is that she is staring at the hole where his heart should have been.

The blood has been cleaned off so all that's left is a gaping hole. She can see some of his other organs, and bits and chunks of meat and wood here and there. It is a gruesome sight, and as much as used to the horror as she is, she is not used to seeing it on Neji. A nurse quickly took the sheet from the ground and wheeled his body away into a black tent where they gather all the bodies. For her, time stopped at that exact moment.

The moment where she realized he is not coming back. Ever.

The realization hit her hard. Although she didn't shed a tear she knew what happened, and that their team is now broken. Her mind is full of hatred and she hated everyone, including Naruto. That stupid over-positive blonde. She wished Hinata would die instead. That princess who is to cowardice to say what she wants most of the time deserves to die instead of Neji. Her teammate. Her best friend. Neji, who (dare she say it?) she once believed, she would have a future with him after the war. It is all just an empty dream after all.

Now she's just a weapon shop-keeper. She has melded back into the background, and even then, like a prop meant for war times, she was kept away in the back. Hidden from views. Her store served as a reminder of how danger is always looming in the back of people's mind. The reason why it is always empty save from shinobis who actually came to have a business is that no one wants to be reminded of the horrible war. Peace is not for her and her dragons. They demand action; they hated this moment of idleness. They wanted blood. They crave for revenge. They cried and thirst for the blood of those that have taken him away from her. However, she could not do anything to avenge him. Peace is something so fragile; although she hates it, she can risk Lee and Gai's heart to break one more time is she tries to kill the Hokage and his family. Time has long stopped for her.

And she doubts it will ever start again.

 _They were sitting from what remains of the Hokage mountains after Pain_ _'_ _s attack. His arms are around her, as if it has always been like that. Both of them are staring at the crowds way down below, busy preparing for the war._

 _He leans towards her._

" _When this is over,_ _"_ _Neji whispered to her ears,_ _"you should come live with me._ _"_

 _Tenten smiled teasingly at him._

" _Why, is that an order? I know you're a Jonin now but our team leader is still Gai.",she impishly chided him._

 _He looked at her with eyes that reflect the things that words wouldn't convey._

" _No," he smiled at her, "It's a proposal."_


End file.
